The people working here are great! There is a real sense of family throughout this organization that doesn't distract from getting your job done. People speak openly and honestly and work together as a team. The project environment I worked on at this company has been the best career experience to date.

I have been working at Elkay Manufacturing full-time (More than 8 years)

Doesn't Recommend

Negative Outlook

Disapproves of CEO

Doesn't Recommend

Negative Outlook

Disapproves of CEO

Pros

Decent benefits, most people at local levels are wonderful.

Cons

Many managers are too busy playing CYA, many long term knowledgeable employees are disappearing. New management talks the talk, but doesn't follow the core values. Brutal workload my manager in Oakbrook rarely put in an 8 hour day, but thought a 12 hour day should be the norm for me and my group.

Advice to Management

A lot of good people are being asked to retire or being let go and you really need to examine the 'new' management for dead weight.

The money is pretty good (but not enough for the price paid to work there)

Cons

This company seems to operate as pro-employee welfare, but that is all a bunch of fancy terms with no follow-through. The supervisors demand performance that is always beyond the employees' capacity. While they purport to be quality-focused, in truth they are quota freaks. A very physically brutal workplace, muscle stress plus mental stress equals chronic strain. Most importantly, based on their use of wellness terminology, they have no lack of information on what the stress they engender is doing to their employees. They know full well, they just do not care, that the way they keep their shift crews out of communication with each other, they way they crack the whip at the employees' heels on a regular basis, their lack of acknowledgement of work-caused injuries, etc., is absolutely horrible for morale, both team and individual.

Advice to Management

Use your obvious knowledge of best practice to walk the walk, not just talk the talk, and start valuing your employees as human beings. Industrial psychology is meant to benefit employees, not brainwash and mistreat them.

Elkay Manufacturing Response

Apr 1, 2015 – Corp Comm

Thank you for your feedback. We are very sorry to hear that your experience working for Elkay was so personally dissatisfying. Like most employers, we work very hard to make the Elkay work experience a positive one. We offer fair pay, competitive benefits, and what we hope is a work environment that is positive, friendly, supportive and professional. As a result of your post, we will be in contact with the plant management at your location to determine what we can do to ensure that the culture there meets our standards for what we expect the Elkay experience to be. That being said, manufacturing work is not for everyone – and perhaps it is not right for you. Manufacturing is demanding work that requires strength, character, concentration, persistence, curiosity, a willingness to learn new skills, and a commitment to delivering high-quality workmanship and to meeting the customer’s needs. Elkay’s customers are ordering custom kitchens. While they await their orders, these families’ homes are completely disrupted. The fact is, that orders are time sensitive once they hit our door. For this reason, at times manufacturing also requires us to put in longer hours – accompanied by overtime pay…though we do try very hard to manage overtime hours carefully, both for the sake of our employee’s well-being, and with an eye toward managing expenses. Many of our employees tell us that, at the end of a long day they feel a real sense of pride in a job well done...and that means something to them. For those who do not have this reaction, no amount of overtime pay can make up for the hard work a manufacturing job calls for. Thanks again for the feedback. We sincerely wish you every success in your future endeavors.... MoreLess